Test Policies

Re-testing: Candidates are required to wait three months before taking the CanTEST Listening and Reading components again. The waiting period for the Writing and Speaking components is 6 full weeks. This policy applies to all CanTEST Test Centres.

Registering for Writing Only: Candidates who are successful on the CanTEST Listening and Reading components but NOT successful on the Written test are permitted to register, after 6 weeks, for the "Writing Only" component, at a scheduled test session.

Success on Only One Component: Candidates who are NOT successful on the Listening and/or Reading components and who wish to register for the test again are required to take all three components (i.e., Listening, Reading and Writing). See policy statement #1 above.

Speaking Test: Candidates who are required to take the Speaking Test must register specifically for this component of CanTEST. Candidates who are NOT successful on the Speaking Test may register for this component at a scheduled test session, provided it is at least 6 weeks after their previous test. Interviews are scheduled in the order in which the registration forms are received.

Score Reporting: All candidates are emailed an Unofficial Score Report within ten business days of the test session. Official Score Reports are sent to one university or certifying institution. The test candidate must specify the receiving institution at the time of registration; requests received later are subject to a $45.00 fee. If candidates need scores sent to more than one institution, they must pay for a second official score report. Official score reports are only sent directly to recognized academic institutions or professional organizations. Official score reports will not be sent to candidates.

Score Validity: When a candidate repeats one or more sections of the test, only the most recent test scores are reported. The previous scores for the repeated sections are no longer valid and will not be reported. If a section is not repeated, the score will be reported with an asterisk and the original test date. CanTEST scores are valid for two years after the testing date. After two years, records of test results are destroyed. Expired test results will not be reported.

Registration Deadline: Registration for the CanTEST closes ten business days prior to the test session; however, Language Testing Services reserves the right to close registration prior to this date if the session is full. After the registration deadline, late registrations are accepted on a space-available basis; an additional fee of $35 will be charged for late registrations. Registration forms and fees submitted by mail must be received at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute before registration closes. It is the candidate's responsibility to allow adequate time for the forms to arrive by mail.

**New** Cancellation Policy:

Candidates who cancel before the registration deadline (ten business days before the test) will be charged a $50 cancellation fee. The remainder of the test fees will be refunded. Candidates who register for the test after the registration deadline, may not cancel their registration but may choose to transfer their registration. See below for more information about transfer requests.

Candidates who cancel after the registration deadline (less than ten business days before the test) will not receive a refund; they may request to transfer their registration and fees to another scheduled test session. There is a fee for this service. Please see the transfer fees listed below. Transfer Fees:
Listening, Reading and Writing - $60
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - $120
Writing Only - $30
Speaking Only - $60

Candidates who do not attend their scheduled test can request to transfer their registration to another scheduled test session. They MUST contact Language Testing Services within the five business days that follow the test session.

The above transfer fees apply to this service as well.

Preparation materials are non-refundable.

All requests to cancel or transfer registration for a test must be emailed to CanTEST@uOttawa.ca

CanTEST Practice Materials: Preparation materials are non-refundable. It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide an accurate and clear mailing address when ordering preparation materials. Additionally, when preparation materials are requested to be mailed by courier, it is the candidate's responsibility to follow the instructions of the Purolator office with regards to the delivery or pick-up of the materials.

The CanTEST is a test of English proficiency; it is not a diagnostic test. For this reason and for test security, exam papers cannot be viewed by test candidates.

By registering for the CanTEST, you are implicitly agreeing to the use of your responses, scores, and demographic data for test validation and research purposes, with the goal of improving the test for future test takers. The test research will be reported in internal documents as well as specialist publications and meetings related to language assessment. Your test information will remain completely confidential: it will never be reported in a way that could identify you.